Dispensing apparatus



Sept. 15, 1936. v D. H REEVES V 2,054,485

E DIsPENsING APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1933 5 Shee'ts-Sheet l sept. 15, 1936. D REB/ES' 2,054,485

DISPENS ING APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheetl 2 Sept. 15, 1936. D. H. REVES DISPENSLFNG APPARATUS Filed April 27 ,Y 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES DISPENSING APPARATUS Donald H. Reeves, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a. corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1933, Serial No. 668,243

6 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending applications entitled Refrigerating apparatus, Serial No. 541,012 led May 29, 1931 and Serial No, 623,549 led July 20, 1932,

'now Patent No. 1,923,585, granted August 22,`

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerating water and beverage coolers and discharge devices therefor. Y

Heretofore discharge devices for refrigerated water and beverage coolers have been inconvenient and rather hard to operate. In addition, they have not always been of pleasing appearance vand frequently their appearance did not harmonize with the remainder of the cabinet. Often in prior types of construction these discharge devices could not be properly made so as to harmonize with the appearance of the remainder of the cabinet. Parts of' these devices were often inconveniently grouped so as to be difficult to operate and they were often inconvenient to manufacture and assemble Some of the moving parts were often relatively inaccessible.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved and ornamental discharge device for refrigerated water and beverage coolers having an improved appearance and an easy and convenient method of arrangement for operating the valve and discharging thefluid from the device.

It is another objectief my invention to provide an ornamental discharge device which does not expose the sweating surfaces often found in refrigerated water and beverage coolers.

vIt is a still further object of my invention to provide an improved way of disposing of leakage from the discharge device.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of thev present invent-ion is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional View through a portion of a water and beverage cooler disclosing my improved discharge device;

Figl2 is .a front view of my discharge device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;,'and

Fig. 4 `is a vertical sectional view of a slightly modified form of discharge device.

Referring to the drawings and more particularlyto Fig. l, there is shown a portion of a water and beverage cooler comprising an inner Wall 20 which surrounds the cooling portions of the cooler and contains a pressure regulating valve 2|. The water or beverage to be cooled enters `the pressure regulating valve 2| from the supply conduit 22. 'I'he water discharged from the pressure regulating valve is conducted through a conduit 23 to a valve member 24 which contains the discharge valve 25. This valve member 24 has a head piece 23 with a flanged edge and a collar 21 threaded upon a body of the member 24 so as to hold the valve member 24 within an aperture in the inner wall 20 of the cooler. On either side of the Wall 20 there is provided the rubber gaskets 28 and 29. A collar 30 also surrounds the Valve member 24 and is held between the threaded member 21 and the gasket 29. The threaded collar 21 holds the rubber gasket 23 and 29, and collar 30 and the portion of the inner wall surrounding the aperture tightly against the head 26 of the valve member 24 so that the valve member 24 is iirmly supported within the aperture by the inner wall 20.

The valve member V24 has a front portion 3| fastened to the head piece 26 by screws 12 (see Fig. 3) A gasket 32 is provided between the front portion 3| and the rearportion or head piece 26 of the member 24 to prevent leakage. The inner portion of the member 3| is provided with a threaded recess 33 within which is seated a removable valve seat 34 having a rubber portion 35 upon which the discharge valve 25 seats. This valve seat 34 is held in place by a sleeve 36 which is threaded into the threaded recess 33 and holds the seat tightly against a ange 31 provided in the member 3|. The sleeve 36 also extends into a recess 38 provided in the portion 26 of the valve member 24. The discharge valve 25 isl provided with a stem 39 which extends into a valve guide 40 formed as a central portion of a spider construction at therend lof the sleeve 36 A compression type coil spring 4| extends between the head of the discharge valve 25 and the spider end portion of the sleeve 36 so as to hold the discharge valve 25 upon its seat when the YVvalve is closed and face of the member 3| is a long spout 44 whichV is connected by a passage to the chamber. 43 When Ythe valve is open the iluid thus passes from the conduit 23 through the sleeve 36 past 55 the chamber 43 through the passage 45 and the spout 44 to the receptacle into which it is desired to draw the fluid.

The spout 44 extends through a flanged aperture 46V in the outer ornamental wall 41 of the cooler. Beneath the spout is a forked member Y49 for actuating the valve 25. This forked member 49 is so shaped as to receive a glass in the hand so that the glass may be used to open the valve.

valve actuating member and has a stem 50 which passes through a slot 5| in the outer wall 41.

l5 The inner end of the stem 50 is provided with a necked portion 52 which is received by an open ended vertical slot 53 in a vertically extending valve connecting lever 54. This connecting lever 54 extends up to the valve member 24 and is pivoted upon a screw 55 which is threaded into the portion 3| of the valvemember 24. The lever 54 is provided with a knife edge 56 for facilitating its movement upon the screw 55. A compression type coil spring 51 surrounds the screw 55 and .252 holds the knife edge 56 against the face of the valveniember 24. The lever.54 actuates a floatying pin 59 which extends from the lever 54 through the face of the valve member 24 to the discharge valve 25.

When a glass in the hand is pushed against the forked member 49, the stem 50` moves rear-Y wardly moving the lower end of the lever 54 rearwardly, thus pivoting the lever 54 in a counterclockwise direction upon its knife edge pivot fpoints 56 so that the floating pin 59 is moved 451 pounds.

rearwardly to open the valve 25. When the glass is used in this manner it is directly below the end Yof the spout 44 and receives water directly therefrom. The stem 50 is located about eight g times vas far from the knife edges 56 as is the l floating pin 59. Thus the stem 50 therefore has a mechanical advantage of eight over the pin 59 and in this way the valve can be opened with a very slight pressure such as from twoto four This is a remarkable advantage over the direct action valves which have been used heretofore.

If desired, the floating pin 59 may be provided with a suitable packing 60 such as rubber, which extends around the pin 59. This packing should not be very tight about the pin 59 because in order to obtain easy action it is desirable that the pin 59 move freely. In fact, I find it desirable to omit this packing since there is waterY in the chamber :43 Yonly during the'time the valve 25 is open. Should any water leak from the chamber 43 Y through the passage provided for the pin 59, this leakage will be caught Vby a trough 62 which surrounds the spout 44 and conducts this leakage through the front end of the spout 44 so that it may drip into the drain 63 provided in the spout or into the glass held beneath the spout. .The spout 44 and the-valve memberv 24 are often subject to considerable sweating because l the water supplied to the Yvalve member has been cooled to a temperature of from 45 to 50. This causes the valve member and the spout 44 to be maintained at temperatures considerably below the temperatures of the room and often considerably below the dew point. For this reason moisture in the air condenses upon the spout 44 and the valve member 24. This presents a somewhat unsightly and undesirable appearance.

to conceal these 4sweated surfaces I provide aunitary ornamental cover 64 which is fastened to the outer wall 41 by means of a screw 65. In the This member 49 therefore constitutes a In order upper portion of the ornamental cover 64, there is an outwardly projecting portion in the form of an ornamental spout 66 which extends around the flanged aperture `46 in the outer wall 41 and also around the spout 44 and the trough 62. The trough 62 conducts the sweat dripping off of the spout 44 as well as leakage from the floating pin 59 to the outer end 61 of the ornamental spout 66. portion formed into an ornamental bearing 68 which harmonizes in appearance with the ornamental spout 66. The ornamental bearing 68 forms a bearing for the stem 50 of the valve actuating means 49. The bearing portion 68 is provided with recesses 69 which receive flanged portions 18 struck out from the outer wall 41 in order to properly locate the cover 64. The ornamental cover 64 is insulated from the outer wall 41 and the remaining portions of the cooler by a suitable insulating gasket 1|. In this way the ornamental cover 64 is prevented from sweating.v In order to assemble the stem 50 to the connecting lever 54, the stem 50 is inserted in the bearing portion 68 ofthe ornamental cover 64, and then the stem 50 is passed through the slot 5| in the outer wall and then the stem 50 is moved upwardly so that the neck 52 upon the stem will enter the open ended slot 53 at the;

lower end of the lever 54.V The ornamental cover 64 is then located in place by the ange 46 and the fianged portions 1|) and fastened by the screw 65. Y

In Fig. 4 I have provided a modified form in which a button is used instead of the forked valve actuating member 49. In Y this figure there' is shown the outer wall ofv a cooler which isl provided with a fianged aperture 8|. Behind this aperture 8| there is provided a valve member 82 containing a discharge valve similar to the valve 25. Mounted upon the face of the valve member 82 is a valve connecting lever 85 held by a screwY The ornamental cover 64 also has a lowerA 83 provided with a coil spring 84 which presses against the lever V85 so that the knife edges 86 formedthereon are held upon the face of the valve member 82. 'Ihe discharge valve is operated by a freely fioating pin 81 which is acted upon by the lever 85 to open the discharge valve.

The lower end of the lever 85 is provided with aV slot 38 which engages the square necked portion 89 of the stem 90 which extends inwardly from the valve actuating button 9|. The valve actuating button 9| is threaded upon the outerV end of the stem which is held from turning by the square neck 89 in the slot 88. The stem 90 extends through an aperture in the outer wall 8|] and is supported by a bearing 92 formed in the ornamental cover 93. The ornamental cover 93 is` mounted upon the outer wall 80 and fastened thereto byV means of the screws 94 but is insulated therefrom by means of a suitable insulating gasket 95. The ornamental cover 93 has a lower portion which includes the bearing 92 and an` ornamental flange 96 which surrounds thebutton 9|. The upper portion of theornamental cover 93 is formed into an ornamental spout 91. This ornamental spout 91 extends around the flanged vaperture 8| and also around a spout 98 which ex- In assembling, the stem 90 is passed through the aperture provided therefor before the lever 85 is fastened in place. 'Ihe lever 85, being at that time loosely suspended on the spout 98, is moved so that the squared neck 89 is engaged by the slot 88 after which the lever 85 is fastened in place by the screw 83. Thereafter, the ornamental cover 93 is put into place with the ornamental spout portion 91 surrounding the spout 98 and the bearing 92 surrounding the stem 90. The screws 94 are then employed to fasten the cover 93 to the outer wall 80 and finally the button 9| is threaded onto the stem 90.

With this arrangement the valve may be opened by the valve actuating button 9| by pressing thereon with the thumb or the back of the hand. Thus with this type of valve opening means a paper cup may be held in the hand below the end of the spout and the back of the same hand may be used to press the valve actuating button 9| to open the valve so as to permit the fluid to be discharged into the paper cup. The lever 85 provides approximately an eight to one mechanical advantage for opening the valve so that the valve may be opened with little effort. The cover 93 covers all the exposed portions of the spout 98, as well as the valve member 82, and the lever 85, while the button 9| covers the bearing 92 and the stem 90 in connection with the ornamental flange 96. In this way a convenient and attractive water dispensing device is provided.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. A fluid dispensing device including a valve member containing a valve, said valve member having a movable member extending therefrom for opening the valve, a discharge member extending from the Valve member, and means for conducting leakage from said valve member externally of the discharge member to a drain.

2. A fluid dispensing device including a valve member containing a valve, said valve member having a movable member extending therefrom for opening the valve, a discharge means extending from the valve member for discharging fluid passing through the valve means, andv means for conducting leakage from the valv`e member along the discharge means to a point near the end of the discharge means.

3. A fluid dispensing device including a valve member containing a valve, said valve member having a movable member extending therefrom for opening the valve, an ornamental spout, discharge means extending from the valve member to the ornamental spout, and means for conducting leakage from the valve member to the ornamental spout.

4. A fluid discharge device including a valve member containing a valve, Said valve member having a movable member extending therefrom for actuating the valve, a discharge member extending from the valve member for discharging fluid passing through the valve member, means for concealing said members, said discharge member extending through said concealing means and adapted to discharge fluid exteriorly thereof, and means for conducting leakage from the valve member and moisture of condensation from one of said members to a point exteriorly of said concealing means.

5. A fluid discharge device including a valve member containing a valve, said valve member having a movable member extending therefrom for actuating the valve, a discharge member extending from the valveY member for discharging fluid passing through the valve member, means for concealing said member, said discharge member extending through said concealing means and adapted to discharge fluid exteriorly thereof, and means for conducting leakage from the valve member and moisture of condensation from said discharge member to a point exteriorly of said concealing means.

6. A fluid discharge device including an element adapted to have fluid flowing therefrom, a conduit member connected to said element for conveying fluid therefrom, means for concealing said conduit member, said conduit member extending through said concealing means and adapted to discharge fluid exteriorly thereof, and means for conducting moisture of condensation from said conduit member to a point exteriorly of said concealing means.

DONALD H. REEVES. 

